Watch: Gary Payton II pulls up to Shaquille O'Neal aka DJ Diesel’s concert in Bay Area
Shaquille O'Neal was one of the artists performing at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco and Golden State Warriors' Gary Payton II joined him during his set.
When he isn't analyzing basketball on TNT, O'Neal takes on the world of music with his alter ego, DJ Diesel.
Some of the best in the music industry perform at the Outside Lands Music Festival. The show on Friday was headlined by Kendrick Lamar, one of the finest rappers and hip-hop artists of this generation. He began his set by greeting the city:
"It's been a minute since we have been in San Fran. We have to make this s*** special tonight."
Roughly 75,000 fans showed up to Golden Gate Park to watch Lamar, DJ Diesel and several artists such as Interpol, J.I.D., aespa, Janelle Monáe, The 1975, Tobe Nwigwe, Cigarettes After Sex, Megan Thee Stallion and Odesza, among others.
The festival is expected to bring 225,000 fans over the course of the three-day event.
The event was in San Francisco so there were plenty of Warriors fans in the audience. Fan-favorite Gary Payton II was wholeheartedly welcomed on stage during Shaquille O'Neal's set. He is an Oakland native and his father Gary "The Glove" Payton is a Bay Area legend.
Shaquille O'Neal's set was heavily criticized and wasn't one to remember. He was playing alongside some legends and up-and-coming artists.
Jim Harrington, a music critic for the Bay Area News Group and someone who has closely covered the Bay Area music scene for over 30 years, described DJ Diesel's set as a "shoot and a miss." He wrote for The Mercury News:
"Shaquille O’Neal is better at shooting free throws than he is at DJing. And for those who didn’t follow his Basketball Hall of Fame career, the big guy was certainly no Steph Curry when it came to the stripe."
Nevertheless, DJ Diesel is always loved wherever he goes. Many fans watched his three-peat with the LA Lakers and win a title in South Beach, so the Hall of Famer will gather crowds anywhere he is on stage. He has performed at some huge music festivals such as Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza and many more.
Shaquille O'Neal engaged with Golden State Warriors fans at the Outside Lands Music Festival
The city of San Francisco hosts the Outside Lands Music Festival and it has become an annual tradition for Bay Area fans. Shaquille O'Neal was late for his set and he told the fans to excuse him for his tardiness because he was hanging out with fellow Warriors legends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green:
"Sorry I was late, I was chilling with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Where my Warriors fans at?"
That statement grabbed almost everyone's attention in the audience as countless spectators are also Golden State Warriors fans.
As per Mercury News' John Harrington, many fans stuck around until the end of O'Neal's set because they felt Curry and Green might join Payton II on stage as well. Curry recently joined Drake and Paramore during their concerts this summer so it wasn't far-fetched that he would do so again.
Additionally, Curry featured in a song by Tobe Nwigwe titled "Lil Fish Big Pond," where he showed the world his rapping skills. Nwigwe contributed to the soundtrack of Curry's documentary "Stephen Curry: Underrated," and was, in fact, an artist at the Music Festival.
Warriors fans are aware that Shaquille O'Neal is a huge Steph Curry fan and has, on numerous occasions, called Curry his favorite player. The two have collaborated on several projects and business ventures so the crowd lit up when they assumed Curry would make an appearance.
Unfortunately, there was no Green or Curry sighting on Friday.
The Music Festival is set to continue on Sunday with incredible artists such as Foo Fighters, Lana Del Rey, Maggie Rogers, Conan Gray, Alvvays and others.